Runs With Wolves
by AgressiveNegotiations
Summary: There's nothing in this world so sweet as love. And next to love the sweetest thing is hate. Eventual Dragonborn/Vilkas
1. Murderers For Hire

Finally writing a Skyrim story! Seriously, you have no idea hiw much of my life I have put into this game. Anyway, I kinda fell in love with Vilkas while playing and now can't get enough of him. So please read and review! Don't be afraid to give me your opinions! Love you lots!

And of course... I don't own Skyrim. There would be pink dragons if I owned Skyrim.

* * *

><p>The streets of Whiterun were more empty than usual. All the residents were in their homes taking shelter from the cold winds and occasional drunken vagrant. But really, they were probably all just afraid of the full moon. Rumors of werewolves ran rampant through Skyrim. They lurked in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to strike their unsuspecting victims. If only people weren't so ignorant.<p>

Vilkas didn't shudder as the breeze hit him. He was used to the feeling of the cold against his skin. He looked up to moon, a complete contrast to the black sky. There was a sick irony to the whole thing. What would people do if they knew that the people they look to for help were really the ones they fear the most?

The Bannered Mare was up ahead. The smell of a wood fire surrounded its perimeter. Skjor glanced over at Vilkas and then at Aela before pushing through the door. The pub was just as empty as the streets. Hulda was still behind the counter wiping down the glasses used that night. The bard slumped in a chair by the fireplace with a bottle of mead in hand. He looked up just in time to see Vilkas approaching his area of the room, eyeing him with disapproval. The bard sat up immediately and put down the cup of mead as if to demonstrate his own sobriety. The air was tense as the Companion walked past, as the two had had many a scuffle before. Most of them a result of an upset woman coming to Vilkas and complaining about his vulgar behavior.

The trio pushed on to a table in the back, where they had been told in the letter to wait. This all started a week back, when a courier came to the Jorrvaskr. The letter was addressed to Kodlak, who reported to the Circle that it was a job offer. They were to meet a man at the Bannered Mare tonight for details. Kodlak sent Aela, Skjor, and Vilkas as representatives.

They sat down at the table and looked around.

"I'm not going to wait all night for someone _we're_ doing a favor for." Aela mumbled in aggravation.

"Patience, my dear." cooed a voice from the coroner of the room. They all turned to the source of the noise, which was a tall Nord man leaning against a wood beam with his arms folded. He wore fur armor and a battle axe on his back. The small smirk on his face seemed genuine, but is eyes held anything but humor. The man took a step toward the trio and welcomed himself to the table. "I'll take it you are the Companions I'm looking for."

"You'd be correct." Skjor said warily. "I'll take it you sent the letter."

"Right." The man smile again. Aela sat up as he did so, setting herself on higher guard. It's never a good sign when someone smiles as they give you a job. Vilkas followed her lead.

"Skip the pleasantries. Why are we here?" Aela practically growled.

"First things first" he said "My name is Rynoff."

"Skjor" the elder said, keeping his even temper. "This is Aela and Vilkas. So what is this about?"

"All business I see. Alright. Then I will make it clear now that this briefing is not to be shared with anyone. I have a problem that I need taken care of. From what I've heard, you are the ones to go to."

"What kind of problem?"

"A woman."

Vilkas and Aela exchanged glances. "We aren't matchmakers, if that's where you're going." Vilkas almost laughed.

"No. That wasn't where I was going." All the humor was gone from his voice. "This woman is_ a thorn_, in the side of Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak." He smiled as the look of realization crossed their faces. "Yes, I am here on his behalf."

"We don't like to involve ourselves in the war."Skjor said almost immediately. "It's not our battle to fight."

This seemed to anger Rynoff, who clenched his fists and banged them against the table. "This is every Nord's battle! You can't just sit in your safe clubhouse while your brothers and sisters suffer!" He suddenly stopped and composed himself. The smile returned to his face. "But I forget that you live in an Imperial capital city. No matter, I did not come here to talk politics with you. The woman is not a member of the Imperial army. It would have no effect to your standing in the war."

"If you need someone taken out, you should have called the Dark Brotherhood." Vilkas said angrily. "The Companions aren't murderers for hire."

Rynoff seemed surprised. "No no, I want her alive. I need her to be delivered to Windhelm."

"Why not send out Stormcloak soldiers then?" Aela spoke up.

"As I said before… this is off the record. Plus I'm afraid this would be too much of a challenge for Ulfric's boys. She's… dangerous."

Aela and Vilkas looked to Skjor, who seemed to be deep in thought. He looked up and nodded solemnly.

"We'll think about it." He said, still keeping his cool.

Rynoff smiled as if expecting this. "Of course. Maybe this will help you decide." He casually threw a large pouch on the table. Aela reached to it cautiously and opened it. She gasped.

"There must be at least 1000 gold in here!"

"Yes. And that's just an advance. I'll triple that is you finish the job."

Aela looked to Skjor. "We could use the money."

"It doesn't matter, Aela." Vilkas said gruffly. "This isn't a job for us."

"Who cares." She barked back. "It's nothing we can't handle!"

"That's not what I meant. This isn't what we stand for. We can't give up our beliefs for a profit."

"Quiet you two." Skjor snapped. "Vilkas is right; we can't give up our beliefs for money. But we won't be able to help other people if we have no income to help ourselves." He looked up at Rynoff, who still looked as confident as ever. "We'll do it."


	2. The Rabbit Trail

Wow, uploading a second chapter just one day aftre the story was published. That's a new record for me. This chapter is a bit shorter, but hey- I write by my own rules. As always, please tell me what you think! I have some high hopes for this story. Love you guys! =)

I don't own Skyrim. Stop pressuring me to buy it!

* * *

><p>"Well terrific." Farkas mumbled under his breath while packing his satchel. Of course he had another job lined up the second he got back to Whiterun. Of course he couldn't just catch a break for once. Forget that he had just been clearing out caves of bandits all across Skyrim for the past week. Forget that maybe, just maybe, it was time for a break. That there were about 10 other bored Companions sitting around the Jorrvaskr just waiting for a job. No no, we need Farkas.<p>

As much as he wanted some down time, Farkas wasn't planning on complaining to anyone about it. So long as he had a bed to come home to, he was happy. At least Vilkas was going. He was comfortable with his fellow Companions, but he always felt more relaxed when his brother was around. The two had been inseparable since they were first dumped on Kodlak as young boys. Since then, he took it upon himself to always look after Vilkas. Sure, Vilkas was completely capable, but he was many times blinded by his own thoughts. Thinking too much can get a person in trouble. Especially on the battlefield.

After his bag was packed, he headed out to the mead hall, where Skjor, Aela, and Vilkas were gathered. He didn't know why Skjor had even bothered asking him to come on this little venture. As far as he knew, the job was to deliver a Nord woman to Windhelm. Simple enough.

"Good to see that you're well." Aela said, nodding in his direction. "I heard you had quite a field day with some bandit leaders."

"Yeah. Always someone looking for trouble out here. So where are we headed?"

"Solitude. We were given a tip that this woman was there recently."

"So wait… we have to find her, too?" Vilkas sighed, aggravated. "This job is just getting better by the minute."

"I promise you, Vilkas…" Aela smiled "When all this is over, you can have a tall glass of freshly brewed mead, on me."

* * *

><p>"I told you before… I've been busy all day. I haven't had time to ask every lass who comes here for a drink where she's going." The man behind the bar at the Winking Skeever yelled. "You'll have to check somewhere else!"<p>

The four Companions walked away empty handed, as they had every time they approached someone for information. Either this woman was going incognito, or the lead they had gotten was bad.

"Maybe we should try-" Skjor began to speak but was cut off almost immediatelyby an elf and an imperial debating.

"You should have seen it!"

"How big was it?"

"At least the size of this bar! I've never seen a creature so big in my life!"

By this time, a small crowd had gathered around the two men who had initiated the conversation. The elf was frantic, and was making large hand motions as if to get a point across.

"It screamed like nothing else. I thought for sure that I was going to go deaf."

"How did they bring it down?"

The elf leaned forward, and a smile spread across his face. "That's just it. _They_ didn't. It was a woman. Took it on all by herself."

"You're lying."

"I wouldn't believe it myself had I not seen it with my own eyes."

The Companions look to each other, presumably all thinking the same thing. Sure, this could be a drunken tale this man was making up as he went along. He could be completely delusional. Or he was telling the truth, and it just so happens that a random woman had the luck to take down a dragon. It was a long shot… but this could be who they were looking for. Skjor push passed the men in the circle to get to the middle. "Where exactly did this happen?"

"Just outside."

* * *

><p>"My gods…" Vilkas whispered to himself. It was even bigger than he imagined. And even stranger- it was just bones. No scales, no carcass. Just… bone. As if it had been there for years. It was bigger than the stables, bigger than the entrance to the city.<p>

It was the first time Vilkas had actually been that close to anything having to do with a dragon. The return of their species shocked the Companions just as it did the rest of Skyrim. He would occasionally see one looming overhead. They were like a strange cloud, drifting in and out with the flow of the wind.

"How could just one person take one of these down?" Farkas said, bluntly. Vilkas was brought back to reality. He looked to his brother, who was examining the skull.

"Look…" Aela said, squatting on the ground. "Blood. And it's fresh. Somehow, I don't think it belongs to our friend here." She patted the bone wing. "Looks like it goes into the trees."

" And if it belongs to who I think it does... our job just got a whole lot easier." Skjor smiled and motioned the rest to follow him.


	3. Can't Get Any Worse

Hey party people, how's it hanging? I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it! We get a little bit of wolfy action here (No, sorry... not a sex scene). Plan to see a lot more wolf next chapter. Anyways, don't forget to review. I love and feedback I can get.

I own Skyrim.

Nah, just kidding. I still don't.

* * *

><p>"Damnit." She tried once more, this time gripping the bandage more firmly and pulling it tighter for a better chance of it actually staying. It didn't, and once again she untangled the mess and began rewrapping. She'd been at this for at least 20 minutes now with no success. Maybe if she had any sort of medical training this would be easier. Finally, on what must have been the 15th time, she was able to cover the wound on her bicep with the gauze. It was messy, and blood was quickly being absorbed into the cloth until it was a scarlet color. Maybe she'd actually go see a healer for once when she got back to civilization.<p>

She looked up to the sun, using it as a hourglass. It was dangerously low, meaning she'd have to build some kind of makeshift camp fast if had any plan of making it through the night. Being unprepared was one of the main causes of death in Skyrim. She pulled a tattered bed roll out of the leather pack she often carried with her. When it wasn't on her person, it was at her home in Whiterun. But quite frankly, she didn't have the time to travel back there every night just for the sake of a warm bed. She had gotten far too in over her head by agreeing to take on every person's burdens. Why she thought she had time to locate every lost family heirloom and clean out each cave of undesirables was lost on her. So it was the cold hard ground to sleep on for now.

After laying out the bedroll, she pulled out her wood cutter's axe and got to work building a fire. As tedious as it was, she didn't mind chopping wood. Sometimes it was nice to just do something simple that didn't require much thought. It was always the same- set a piece of wood down, split it in two. Living in a world that was constantly changing, it was nice to have something that wouldn't.

Once enough wood was chopped, she stacked it and ran a match along some rocks to start a spark. Once the fire was lit, she stripped off her belt with her blade sword. She then removed her boots and hide armor. She proceeded to put on a pair of cotton shorts and t shirt she had gotten from clothing saleswoman in Riften. The woman had practically paid her to take them. Nobody wants to buy old, dirty cotton shirt. But she didn't have expensive tastes. Especially not when it came to sleepwear.

She settled down into her bag and closed her eyes, breathing in and out with the wind. Her bicep still hurt like hell. Maybe she shouldn't have tried to use destructive magic on it. The crazy SOB nearly took her arm for it. Oh well, it's not like the night could get any worse.

* * *

><p>They had been following the trial for about an hour now. The four had split up to not draw attention to themselves. Nothing says trouble like a pack of werewolves.<p>

Skjor and Aela had gone West, while Vilkas and Farkas headed North. So far, they had covered a lot of ground. But that didn't mean they were anywhere close.

Vilkas keep his nose to the ground, sniffing every tree he walked past. The blood was enough to pick up the scent, and it was growing stronger. Hopefully this wasn't a dead end. That's when he smelled it. Not the blood, but smoke. Campfire smoke.

Vilkas immediately made eye contact with Farkas, who had also picked up the scent. Farkas nodded, and began circling around to the opposite side of where the smoke was blowing. Vilkas continued straight forward. That was the good part of partnering up with your brother. He always knew what you were going to say just by looking at you.

Each step he tried to make quieter than the one before. Soon he could not only smell the fire, but see it. He could hear it, too. But that wasn't all he could hear. Breathing, and a heartbeat. And they weren't just his own.

From in the trees where he lurked, he could see a small campsite. A fire, some armor laying around, and in the middle… a small bedroll with a good amount of dark blonde hair sticking out from the top. The scent was almost overwhelming.

Against his better judgment, he continued forward. It was like he wasn't in his own body. He was a spectator to the will of someone else. After what felt like hours, he was standing at the foot of the bedroll. The sound of breathing was almost too much for him to take. He could almost imagine how strange it must have looked. A 7 foot black beast standing over a small pale figure rolled up into a ball. He didn't move, he didn't speak. He just watched as the figure rose and fell. For a moment, he didn't know if he could do it. Could he really hand over someone's life against their will?

As if an answer to his question, the figure stopped breathing. And everything changed in a split second as he realized there was a pair of dark blue eyes staring back at him.


	4. An Eye For An Eye

Yay for being productive! I actually got off my lazy butt and wrote something. Haha, just kidding. That was the exact opposite of why I haven't written. I've been crazy busy and had no time at all. This probably isn't going to change for the next few months... so only expect and update about once a week. I'll try my best to be quicker. Promise! LOVE YOU! =D

I don't own Skyrim. That sucks for me.

* * *

><p>She had never been so afraid in her life. She couldn't move or breathe. She just laid frozen, listening to quite snarls of the monster above her. It had to be at least six feet tall. No, seven. It was hard to tell because of its black coat, making it blend in with the night. The eyes are what really stood out. They were silver, glowing with intensity. Its pupils were narrowed, like it was deciding something. As if it was trying to debate whether it was going to attack her or not. But that couldn't be, could it? Animals didn't have a conscious. But she had a feeling this wasn't your everyday animal. It had claws, huge ivory teeth, and a tail… the markings of a beast. But the way it looked at her was just so… human.<p>

If she was going to act, she'd have to do it fast. She slowly moved her hand down her leg to the hunting knife she kept on her person while she slept. It was dangerous to be lying in the open unprotected out here in the wilderness, so a knife was the least she could do to keep herself safe. Once she had it griped in her hand, the fear began to set in. She had only one chance. If this didn't work, the beast was surely going to destroy her. But what choice did she have? She counted down from 3 in her head, took a big breath, and threw.

The knife landed near where she wanted. It became lodged below the left shoulder. The wolf looked down, confused. It staggered back, and reached a paw up to pull it out. It was only distracted for a moment, but that was enough time. She jumped up and grabbed her blade sword from the pile of inventory she had taken off. The beast ran at her on its two legs. She dodged it, and it slammed head first into a pine tree. The tree became majorly dented, but the wolf seemed to suffer no injury. It spun around and charged again, this time on all fours. Its speed was no match for her own, and she was thrown backwards by the swing of its paw. She landed on her bedroll, which somewhat cushioned her landing. It stood in front of her, similar of how it had not even 10 minutes before. It swung its paw down clenched in a fist, which she deflected with her sword. The two were locked in a battle of strength, which she knew she's have no chance in winning. She looked around franticly for anything that might save her from an almost certain death, when an idea hit her. No. No way. There is no chance in Oblivion it could possibly work. But then again, what other option did she have? She put as much pressure into her leg as possible and kicked it.

Right in the groin.

Its hands dropped. Shock shot through its eyes. It took a few steps back, leaned forward, and howled to the sky in pain.

Any other time, she may have wondered how that could have possibly worked. But at the moment, all she could do was laugh at her good fortune. But that didn't last long, as the wolf looked down to her with intense anger. She used her opening to slash her sword across the torso, hoping to do some damage. It must have worked. It cried out again, this time a black-red blood oozing out of the gash her blade made. The beast used its left paw to cover its stomach in what she presumed was an attempt to make it stop bleeding. Now that she had upset it, her chances of survival were a lot slimmer. Time for a last resort... running. She turned to leap, but wasn't fast enough. The monster raised its free claw and swiped at her back. The pain hit her like an arrow. Now it was her turn to cry out and look up at the animal before her helplessly. She closed her eyes and waited for another blow, a critical hit. But it didn't come. She opened her eyes after a few moments, but her pursuer was gone. Vanished into thin air. She sighed confused, and fell to the ground as the blood from the 3 claw marks in her back soaked her t-shirt.

* * *

><p>Vilkas had to stop running to catch was breath. The blood loss was starting to make him lose focus. He leaned against a thick tree for support, but eventually had to slide down to his knees to stay upright. He looked down to see the thick red liquid running down his naked body.<p>

"Vilkas?"

His brother's voice was familiar to him, even in a fuzzy state of mind. He looked up to see Farkas in human form, and fully dressed. He must have smelled the blood and followed the trace. At the sight of his injury, Farkas ran over to his side and began to examine. "What happened?"

"I… ran into a bear. It caught me off guard."

Why had he lied? Why did he not say he found the Nord woman? He had injured her; there was no way she'd be able to get to safety that quickly. If he told Farkas now, there was still a chance he could catch her. They could still complete their objective. Why let her get away?

"A… bear?"

"Yes. A bear."

Farkas seemed a bit taken aback, but shrugged it off rather quickly. For once, Vilkas was glad for his brother's lack of curiosity. "You need to get back to Whiterun. We can go to a healer there. Aela and Skjor will know where we are if we don't come back to the meeting point."

Vilkas nodded and stood up with his twin's help. He began to hobble slowly, each step taking him farther away from the woods. But no matter how far he got from the campsite, the scent of her blood still drowned his head.

* * *

><p><em>Like that whole kick to the groin thing? My favorite part of this chapter. And as always, please review! It makes my day! =)<em>


	5. Fire and Ice

I am so dead right now. Like seriously, I can't even bring myself to write a witty "Hi there!" message. It's been such a long week. But I figured since it's Friday I'd get off my duff and write. Since there is no definitive backstory for Vilkas and Farkas, I thought I'd do my part to provide ideas. Take what you want out of it... and as always, thank you for reading! Peace out, kiddies!

I don't own Skyrim. I wonder how much it would cost to buy legal rights to it...

* * *

><p>"No way. I know for a fact that she was in the North. There is no possible way that I missed her." Aela was still mystified about how they had lost track on their target. They had all found the scent. And when four wolves find the scent, there is no way the prey will get away. Something was definitely off, and she was determined to find out what.<p>

It had been months since Aela hadn't come through on a bounty. Huntress was in her name, after all. And that was a whole other problem she didn't even want to think about. How in blazes were they supposed to explain to Rynoff that a team of the most elite warriors in Skyrim weren't able to capture a single Nord? And then there was the matter of finding her again. They had been lucky enough to receive a tip the first time, and that kind of luck didn't tend to strike twice.

"Calm down, Aela." Skjor replied. He'd been listening to Aela rant for the past 2 days, and was starting to get tired of it. Though he had to admit, he was just as mystified as her. The two had gone over the western quadrant a thousand times, and kept coming up empty. Farkas had reported having the same results after taking Vilkas to the medical ward. Vilkas was in and out quickly, not stopping to give an explanation of what happened to the other half of the team. By the time Aela had gone to seek him out for one, he was long gone. She was fuming, as always. But Skjor didn't seem worried about his shield brother's absence. He'd be back soon enough. After all, no wolf could be away from his pack for too long.

* * *

><p>Vilkas sat with his back against a rotted piece of plywood and his boots barely skimming the water's surface. The old ship, known as the Wreck of the Brinehammer, creaked beneath him each time he swung his feet back and forth. Small waves broke the calm, shattering his reflection in the icy cool bay. It somewhat comforted him to lose the mirrored image. He couldn't face himself- not now. Not after he let his brothers and sisters down for failing to do his duty. But that wasn't the worst of it. He had let Kodlak down. Kodlak was like a father to him. He had been looking after him ever since Jergen passed when Vilkas was a young teen. He couldn't face him, knowing he was the reason the Companions has failed to capture a bounty.<p>

Once the water was still again, Vilkas stood up and walked around the cargo hold of the ship. It was just outside of Dawnstar, and lied miserably along the western coast like a horker waiting to die. The vessel, although degraded as it was, was still in the exact condition Vilkas remembered it. This had been his and Farkas' secret hideout as children. Their obsession with ship had started when they were still under Master's command. They had been under the necromancer's control for a number of years, having been sold as slaves just after their 5th birthday. Their daily routine consisted of beatings, hard labor, and force participation in the rituals Master and his apprentices would put on. Disappointing master was something you didn't want to do. He always knew what would break each individual slave's spirit the most.

Once, Vilkas had accidently walked in on Master while he was practicing, and broke whatever spell he was trying to cast. He prepared himself for the worst beating of his life, but got something even more damaging. For the next few days, Farkas was chained to the wall of the tower in which they lived. Vilkas was handed a whip, and told that every time he caused his Master grief, he wouldn't be the one who would suffer. Vilkas, of course, refused. Master said the longer he refused, the longer Farkas would have to endure the pain.

They were only eight at the time. Farkas had told him that it wasn't his fault. There were just some things that couldn't be prevented. But it killed Vilkas, knowing that he had failed to protect his brother. The scars that day left on him weren't visible like Farkas', but one look into his eyes and you could see them.

After that day, Vilkas promised himself he would never let his brother down again. He wouldn't leave his side and risk that chance of him falling and have no one there to catch him. Maybe that's why he was here now, at this old forgotten hiding place. Maybe it had nothing to do with Kodlak or the Companions. This was about him letting his brother down- lying to his face. Leaving Farkas to have to find the woman, and Talos forbid fight her.

Vilkas by a cold blast of air. climbed the rotted stairs to the deck and was greeted The sky was swelling with clouds that hung over the bay like a blanket of snow. He paced around a bit, looking for the old carvings that he and Farkas had made as children. Finally, he found them along the base of a cabin wall. They were degraded and practically washed away by the years of rain, but still faintly visible. Bitter sweet memories of the elaborate stories the brothers would make up filled his head. The two had first discovered the ship while gathering nirnroot for a ritual. The wreck had stood out like a beacon along the mushy coast. After thoroughly investigating their find, the two decided it would become their new secret play place. Any chance they got, they would sneak out to the ship and let their inner child run free. They would pretend to be Vikings, soaring through Skyrim with the wind in their sails. Or pirates, on a treasure hunt for the gold and riches they had heard about in stories. Sometimes, they would illustrate their adventures with stones and sticks they gathered on the shore. Vilkas bent down as reached out to touch a particular one that brought a smile to his face. It was a poorly carved wolf, disproportionate and resembled more of a bear, but a wolf none the less. Maybe he had always had a connection to the wolf. Maybe he had always been one, in spirit at least.

Next to the carving of the wolf was a smaller one he did not recognize. A creature surrounded by fire, hiding behind two large wings. A dragon. He took a step back and surveyed the art at a distance. Vilkas couldn't remember him or Farkas ever carving a dragon on the side of the ship.

He took a deep breath. A dragon and a wolf. Fire and ice.

Something stirred inside of him. Something he could define. It burned like a raging inferno.

He turned away from the ship and broke into a full sprint towards the bow. He was a wolf before he even hit the water.


	6. The New Kid

_Oh hiii! I missed you! And I hope that you missed me too! If you've been following this since the beginning, God bless you. I know I'm slow. But you can't rush sub-par writing! ;D_

_So here is the next installment, I do hope you enjoy. As I'm sure you'll notice, my Dragonborn and Arcadia are good friends. I know... random. But I happen to like her character. And as for where I got the name for my Dragonborn... It just so happened that Constance is my middle name. _

_Please don't forget to subscribe and review! It seriously means so much to me! You guys are the greatest!_

_Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that I do not own Skyrim. But you smarty-pants out there probably already knew that._

* * *

><p>"Ow" she mumbled to herself "Ow ow ow" The trip to Whiterun had been a long, miserable one. Each step sent a shockwave of pain up her spine. The slash wounds were healing badly. She knew that with each step forward, there was a possibility that she would start bleeding again. But wasting time ran the risk of the wounds becoming infected. So she hobbled up the path to Arcadia's. Once at the door, she pushed through, leaning on it for support. The pain of the wounds lay visible on her face.<p>

"Have a look around" Arcadia called out. "Just let me know if there is anything I can assist you with, and I'll be happy to help."

"Great." she called out in a strained voice, a small smile barely cracked her lips "Then I'd love to take you up on that offer."

Arcadia looked up from the book she was reading. Her reading glasses slid down her nose as she turned her head to the source of the call. "Oh, my!" Arcadia's book fell to the floor. She rushed over to her, draping her arm over her shoulders. She leaned her weight against Arcadia, who began to walk her over to the chair in the corner. She plopped down into the chair with a pained grunt, and looked up to the woman who put her there with a thankful smile.

Arcadia returned the smile with a sympathetic sigh. "Alright, let's see the damage." She mustered up all the strength she could to hover over the seat and turn her back to Arcadia. She crossed her arms on top of the back of the chair, firmly planting her feet on the wood floor. "Oh, goodness." She whispered. "What in all of Tamriel did you piss off?"

"A bear. Or maybe wolf. I don't know…" she trailed off "But it was big enough to swallow me whole."

"Well it certainly had a pair of claws of it, didn't it?" Arcadia mused before grabbing a mixing bowl off the counter. She crouched in front of her patient and gently pulled the back of the t-shirt towards her. "Now, hold still." She pulled out a knife from her belt and slid it into the back of the shirt. From there, she pulled down and slit the t-shirt clean in two. The wounds were even more gruesome that she had imagined. Arcadia inhaled slowly before reaching for a rag to try to soak up the dry blood.

"I don't know how you even managed to get yourself over here." She raised her hands to the wounds, closing her eyes to focus. An eerie white light slowly began to appear out of her fingertips. Like a mist it surrounded her hands and made its way to the wounds. Arcadia kept her eyes closed, working completely by feeling. Her hands moved in a circular motion, gradually getting faster and faster. Within a matter of seconds, all 3 slashes began to close up. Her eyes opened slowly, and smile at the results. Arcadia dropped her hands to grab a needle and thread to finish the job.

"Almost done. You know, I recently had to treat a Companion with a bad slash wound." Arcadia looked to her "He was hurt pretty bad."

She had heard of the Companions before. People would tell stories of them in bars while drunk on mead. They were known as the toughest swords a person could hair. Their services didn't come cheap, and they only took on certain jobs. They were practically idolized by all of Skyrim.

"Who the hell would want to mess with one of those guys?" she asked, pulling on a suit of leather armor she kept in her pack. She shifted her blade sword to her right hip; keep her dagger on the left. She pulled her long blonde hair up into a messy half-up do, enough to keep it out of her face.

"I don't know." Arcadia said, standing up and going over the counter to clean off her hands. She began to organize some potions on the shelves behind her. "He wasn't very talkative. Seemed to have a lot on his mind"

"What a change it must have been for him." She said sarcastically. She never had the greatest appreciation for the Companions. The way she saw it, they were just common mercenaries. They could play themselves as noble as they wanted, but what mattered to them was coin. And they didn't care where they got it from.

"You know, they really aren't as bad as you think." Arcadia scolded. "And they could really use someone like you in their ranks. Think about it."

"Me? A Companion?" She held herself back from laughing.

"Yes!" Arcadia said in a firm tone. "Think of all the people you could help. You could make a real difference! Isn't that what you always wanted?"

She paused and looked down at her hands. Arcadia was right, that was what she wanted. She ran all over Whiterun, trying to find ways to help. No just help by clearing out a cave of bandits or resolving disputes, but make an actual difference in Skyrim.

"Just look into it. For me. Please?" Arcadia looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Oh… alright." She sighed, slightly annoyed at herself for submitting "But only because you asked!"

Arcadia smiled warmly. She walked up to the counter and set down a small bag of gild before leaving. "See you the next time I blindly walk into a dangerous situation!" She waved goodbye before heading out, in a much better condition than when she entered. Once on the street, she stood for a few moments, studying the Jorrvaskr. The whole city had been built around it years ago. It was big, and towered over its brothers and sisters in the Plain district. She took a deep breath and began walking. Nothing wrong with giving it a chance. After all, she told herself… what could go wrong?

* * *

><p>When he arrived to the Jorrvaskr, no one stopped to ask where he had been. Farkas, who was instigating a fight between Athis and Njada, smiled at him and gave him a nod, knowing his brother well enough to understand when he just wanted to be alone. Aela watched him curiously from behind a glass of mead as he descended down the stairs to see Kodlak. He wasn't ready to face him, but he would never be ready. After his stop to see the healer, he knew confessing his sins was the last nail in the casket to put this whole mess away forever.<p>

Kodlak was in the back room downstairs, sitting at a table, sipping on tea. Vilkas stood in the doorway of the room wordlessly, waiting to be extended an invitation to sit down. After a few moments, he cleared his throat in attempts to make his presence known. Without looking up from his tea, Kodlak called out.

"Sit down, my boy! I've been awaiting your arrival home."

Vilkas smiled slightly to himself. Kodlak was always welcoming, no matter the situation. Vilkas took the seat across from him and folded his hands in his lap awaiting punishment, much like a young boy being scolded for stealing a sweetroll before dinner.

"You must tell me son, what is troubling you?"

Vilkas sighed and looked at him painfully. "I can't control my urges. The wolf inside of me, its hunger is overpowering."

"That's normal." Kodlak said reassuringly. "We've all felt it before. You just have to be stronger than the wolf."

"I know..." Vilkas was dreading have to face the topic again. "But that's not all. I… in the woods…"

"Yes?"

"I… almost killed her." There. The ugly truth.

Kodlak seemed surprised "Who, my boy?"

"I don't know. A woman we had a bounty for."

"Well then isn't it normal for you to—"

"Not me!" Vilkas spoke up sharply, immediately feeling rude for interrupting. "It was the wolf. I couldn't control the urge. I attacked her, viciously. If it hadn't been for Farkas calling for me…" he paused, and shook his head "I don't want to imagine what would have happened."

"I see." Kodlak said quietly and leaned back in him chair. "You're a strong man, Vilkas. You're a fighter. Unfortunately, your wolf inherited the same traits." His solemn expression changed into a smile "But you have to remember who you are on the inside doesn't change in wolf form. You are the only person that has a say in your actions."

"But I still hear the call of the blood." He said, looking down once again.

"We all do. It's our burden to bear. But we can overcome." Kodlak smiled again, and reached across the table to pat him on the shoulder. For a moment, Vilkas felt like he was really at home again, and truly himself. But within an instance, that was gone. _Blood._ The wolf in him was rising, hungry for it. He could smell it. It was an all too familiar scent, the same one that called to the wolf in the first place. It was screaming at him now, desperate to be let free.

"Hello?" A small voice called from the doorway.

Vilkas' eyes shot up. A young Imperial woman stood awkwardly in front of them, her hands playing with her belt as if she didn't know what to do with them. She wore worn leather armor and a damaged blade sword on her hip. She was small, and didn't look like much. Vilkas focused on a scar on her right forearm, trying to ignore the pain of the hunger inside. "I'm looking for Kodlak?" she said it unsurely, almost as if she were asking a question. She looked over to Vilkas, awaiting him to point her in the right direction. He used everything in him to force himself to make eye contact with her, a grimace on his face.

_Oh no._

He recognized the dark blue eyes within a second.

_The girl from the woods._

The wolf howled inside, begging to be let out. Vilkas bit his cheek, his tongue tasting blood.

She smiled at him strangely, as if trying to read his expression. Kodlak smiled at her warmly and directed her attention. "A stranger comes to our hall."

"Hopefully not for much longer. I'd like to join the Companions." She returned his warm expression, still seeming slightly uncomfortable.

_Shit._

"Would you now?" Kodlak had a joyous tone that he used for all newcomers. He stood up in front of her. "Here, let me have a look at you." Her walked around her once, and looked into her eyes as if trying to read her. "Hmm. Yes, perhaps. A certain strength of spirit. Tell me girl, what is your name?"

"Constance." She said, tripping over it as if she had never said it before.

Vilkas froze. This couldn't happen, this wouldn't happen. He spoke up in a stutter "Master, you are not honestly considering accepting her." She frowned, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

Kodlak's tongue was sharp "I am nobody's master Vilkas. And last time I checked, we had some empty beds in the Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their hearts." The woman's face softened slightly.

"Apologies." Vilkas' speech was rushed. "But perhaps this isn't the time. I've never even heard of this…" he paused with distain "outsider."

"Sometimes the famous come to us. Sometimes men and women come to us seeking their fame. It makes no difference." Kodlak looked at the girl "What matters… is their heart."

_No_. "And their arm." He said with a snort.

"But of course." _Good. _"How are you in battle, girl?"

At this, she seemed more relaxed. "I can handle myself."

"That just may be so." He extended is arm. "This is Vilkas. He will test your arm." She looked over to the man sheepishly, his disapproval of her was practically tangible. "Vilkas, take her out to the yard and see what she can do."

_Damnit. Damn it all. _"Aye." He said, defeated. He stood up and walked right past her, making a quick hand gesture to tell her to follow. She stayed about 5 paces behind him, doing her best to avoid looking at him. Once they got to the door of the stairwell, Vilkas stopped, one palm of the door. He looked over his shoulder at the woman, Constance, her blonde hair falling in front of her ever no matter how many times she pushed it back. She froze once she realized he was looking at her, and dropped her hands to her sides.

"Are you afraid?" he asked her bluntly, not entirely sure where the question had come from.

She paused a moment before narrowing her eyes "Not at all."

The wolf was tearing at his seams. Its hunger was driving him mad. He instantly remembered the woods, how close he was. What could have happened. What he was capable of.

"You should be."


End file.
